Guard foe gaes



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sl1eet 1 L. E- DUBOIS. LIFE SAVING GUARD FOR CARS.

No. 527,270. Patented Oct. 9, 894.

WILD b63565 fizr'enior' (N0 Modl.) a SheetsSheet L. E. DUBOIS.

LIFE SAVING GUARD FOR CARS. No. 527,270. Patented 001;. 9,1894.

Wil'nesses 1221 6111??? ,4; a/rfiw WM am (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

L. E. DUBOIS. I LIFE SAVING GUARD FOR CARS.

Patented Oct. 9,1894.

THE mums PETERS $0., PHOTD-LITHO,WASHNGTON. 0.0.

v U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS EMILE DUBOIS, OF TORONTO, CANADA.

LIFE-SAVING GUARD FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 527,270, dated October 9, 1894.

Application filed November 20, 1893. Serial No. 491,517- (No model.)

and I hereby declare that the following is a' full, clear, and exact description of the same. I

The object of this invention is to provide a trolley, cable or tram-car with a guard which, in the event of a person getting in front of or in the way of a moving car, will pick up and carry the person until the car can be brought to a standstill, or the person removed from danger.

It is also part of the object of my invention to so arrange the guard that it can be raised into and carried in a vertical position during the travel of the car when not required for service, and also to so arrange the guard that it can be instantaneously lowered to approximately the level of the rails the moment it is required to remove or pick up the person or object in danger of being run over by the moving car, and also to so arrange the guard that if desired it can be carried permanently in its lowered position; and it is also part of my invention to so arrange a switch in conjunction with the mechanism operating the trolley guard, that during the lowering movement of the trolley guard the operating mechanism will instantaneously cutoff the circuit of the electric current from the motor, and during the raising of the trolley guard the operating mechanism for the same will move the switch to cut in the electric current to the motor, and also to so arrange the switch that it can be moved independently of the mechanism operating the trolley guard, in order that it can be operated at the will of the party running the car, the whole device being constructed and'arranged as hereinafter more fully set forth and more particularly guard in its raised position.

spective view of a section of the platform showing the switch mechanism, and Fig. t is a View of the under side of the same. Fig.5

and beneath thesame are two hangers respectively 2 and 2 provided with bearings 3 and 3 respectively for the spindle 4:.

The spindle 4: is supported in the bearings 3 and 3 and extends from side to side of the platform 1 and about midway between the under side of the platform and the level of the roadway. Removably fitted to the one end of the spindle 4 is a bracket 5, and removably fitted to the opposite end of the said spindle is a bracket 5".

Formed within the bracket 5 is a slot 6, and rigidly secured within the slot 6 are the ends of two blocks 8 arranged one on either side of the side bar 7 Passing through the blocks 8 and the side bar 7 is a bolt or pin by means of which the side bar is pivotally connected to the blocks 8 The bracket 5 is provided with a similar slot 6 to receive the ends of two blocks 8*, arranged one on either side of the side bar 7", the side bar 7 being connected to the said blocks in the same manner as the side bar 7 is connected to the blocks 8*. I

Passing around the blocks 8 and side bars 7 is a clip 9 binding two springs 10 to the side bar 7 and blocks 8 while a similar clip 9 binds two'springs 10 to the side bar 7 and blocks 8*.

The side bars 7 a and 7 are continued around the front of the guard and are welded, or

otherwise secured, together and form the front 11 of the guard. I may, however, if I so desire, make the side bars and front of one continuous piece of metal.

The front 11 of the framework of the guard it on the net work of the guard without causing it serious injury.

Connected to each of the side bars 7 and Inclosing the cross bar 14 and the spindle 12, and connected to the front-11 and side bars 7 a and 7 is a covering 15 of canvas or other suitable material, which provides what might be termed a floor or platform to receive the object picked up by the guard.

the dash board are a series of horizontal arms 16 and supported in the arms 16 is a bar 17 parallelwith thefront 11 of the framework and extending entirely across the front of the dashboard.

Connectedto one end of the bar 17 is one.

work of the-guard when the guard is in its lowered position.

Connected ito-the front end of thef-rame work of the ,guard or to the canvas-covering 1-5is the lower end'of the front-0f a netting.

20,'whileithe upper-end 'of the fronto'f the netting 20 is connected to the flea-r1 7. The lower ends of .the sides :21 of :the'netting '20 are secured and 7 Connected to the "bar. 1-7 -at or'near itsmiddle is'one end of a rubber "or "e'lasticcord 22-, while the opposite end of the said cord 22 is secured to the :bar let-or canvas covering 15.

Connected to the bar17'at regular intervals between its "ends are the uppe-rends ofa series of stay cords23, whileth-e-lower'ends o'f the stayc'ords 23 are connected to the cross bar 14 or canvas covering 15.

tween the bearings 3* and 3 of the rhangers s2 and :2 respectively is a-counter balance. 'orba-lance weight :24: which is intended to;

' balance the weight of the :guard and automatically raise the guard into a vertical pos'ition when not "required for use. Rigidly secured to 'thespindle 4 is a bell cranklever 1, and the upper end of this foot lever '26 passes through a slot'formed :in the'platform'. 1. Thefoot lever 26 is-fitted on its upper:

end'with 'a' pedal 29.

"The 'slot in "the platform is fitted with a metallic plate 30 'having a correspondingslot. 28 in order that the lever will -not wear away respectively tothe side bars 7, might be stated, being locatedon theunder the woodwork of the platform, and at one end of the slot '28 in the plate 30 is arrecess 31 and at the opposite end of the slot 28 is a recess 32 and into each recess enters the foot lever 26 when at its respective end of the said slot. By means of these recesses 31 and 32 the lever 26 is rigidly held at the desired end of the slot, and the guard by thismeans is held either in its raised or lowered position as required, and the lever is held in either of the said slots by a spring 26. Explanatory of this it might be stated that by moving the Connected to the top of the" outer side of foot lever 26 to the forward end of the slot as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the guard is lowered into the position shown in the said Fig. 1 and is there held until the foot lever. is removed from th-erecess 31, and the counter balance raises the guard into a vertical position. Whenever the lever is moved to the rear or-opposite endof the slot and enters the recess 22 theguard is lifted into the vertical positionshown in Fig. 20f thedrawiings.

As before stated the counter balance 24Lis intended to balance the framework of the guard, and immediately the foot lever has been released from the recess 31 the counter balance commences to lift theguard into a vertical position. The only force that is required in the operation of the apparatus is suffi'cient pressure-for the forward movement :of'the foot lever, which is so slight that it amounts to nothing,the apparatus being so evenly-balanced. Connected to the footlever 26 is a'spring 33 which operates the switch 34 cutting the current into or out-of circuit with the motor, the switch mechanism, it

-'side of the floor-0f the platform with a small knob extending through-a'slot in the floor of theplat-form and moved by the spring 33.

I The object of the Wheels 13 on ltheslpindle 12 is "to prevent the front of the guard striking the ground during the oscillation :or

swinging of the'car whiletraveling'over uneven ground, and the object of the-springs s10 zand-lO is to reduce the strain on the frame- Mounted upon the spindle 4t mediately be work of the guard when the car comes in contact with an obstacle of any description whatsoever. The netting 20 extends entirely across the front of the car, and is sufliciently flexible and soft "to receive a body without causingitserious injury. 7

In Fig.7 I have showna spring to serve the same purpose-as thecounter balance24.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim asnew, and desire to secu-reby Letters Patent, -is- 1. In a life saving guard for cars the-combination with the car of .a spindle pivotally connected to the car, a balance connected-to the'spindle, a framework rigidly'con'nected to 'the endsofthe spindle, a-netting securedtothe framework, and to the car, ale'ver to operate the spindle,and a switch mechanism adapted to cuton-or off thecurrent to the too motor of the car, operated by the respective movement of the lever, substantially as set forth.

2. In a life saving guard for cars the combination with the car of a spindle pivotally connected thereto, a framework connected to the ends of the said spindle and adapted to be raised and lowered thereby, a balance mounted on said spindle and adapted to counter balance the framework, a bell crank lever connected to the spindle, a foot lever connected to the bell crank lever and pivotally connected to the car, said foot lever adapted to operate the spindle and move the guard into a vertical or horizontal position, a latch plate connected to the car and adapted to hold the foot lever in its adjusted position, a netting secured to the framework, and to the car, said framework having a cushioned front, a spindle connected tothe front of the framework, wheels mounted upon said spindle and adapted to travel on the rails, a canvas covering connected to the side bars at the front to form a platform, substantially as set forth.

3. In a life saving guard for cars the combination with the car of a spindle pivotally connected to the car, a frame work connected to each end of the said spindle and moving therewith, a canvas platform connected to the front endof the framework, a netting connected to the canvas platform, and to a cross bar connected to the dash board, and means for moving the guard into a vertical or horizontal position as required, substantially as set forth.

4. In a life saving guard for cars the combination with the car of a spindle pivotally connected to the car, a frame work connected to each end of the said spindle and moving for moving the guard into a vertical or hori-- zontal position as required, and a switch mechanism adapted to out on or off the current from the motoras required operated by the respective movement of the operating mechanism of the guard, substantially as set forth.

5. In a life saving guard the combination with the car ofa spindle pivotally connected thereto, a bracket secured to each end of the spindle, a framework, the end of each of the side bars of the framework pivotally connected to its respective bracket, a spring connected to and adapted to bear down the said side bars, and means for moving the framework into a horizontal or vertical position, a netting secured to the framework and to the dashboard of the ca'ir,substantially as set forth.

6. In a life saving guard the combination with the car of a spindle pivotally connected thereto, a bracket secured to each end of the spindle, a framework, the end of each of the side bars of the framework pivotally connected to its respective bracket, a spring con crank lever, said foot lever and bell crank lever adapted to operate the said spindle substantially as set forth.

7. In a life saving guard the combination with the car of a spindle pivotally connected thereto, a bracket secured to each end of the spindle, a framework, the end of each of the side bars of the framework pivotally connected to its respective bracket, a spring connected to and adapted to bear down the said side bars, means connected to the spindle, to

counter balance the framework, a bell crank lever connected to the spindle, a switch mechanism adapted to be operated by the movement of the foot lever to respectively cut on or oi the current to the motor, substantially as set forth.

8. In alife saving guard for cars the combination of the car hangers connected to the under side of the platform of the car having bearings to receive a spindle, a spindle mounted in the bearings 0f the hangers, a. bracket connected to each end of the spindle, a frame work composed of two side bars the ends of which are connected to the said brackets, and a cushioned front, a spindle connected to the front end of the side bars, wheels mounted on the spindle, a canvas covering connected to the side bars on the front forming a platform, arms connectedto the outer side of the dashboard, a cross bar carried by said bars, a netting, the upper end of which is secured to the cross bar, and the lower end connected to the framework, a chain connected to each end of the crossbar and to the framework, an elastic cord connected to the middle of the cross bar and to the framework, a balance Weight connected to the spindle and adapted to counter balance the guard, a bell crank lever connected to the spindle, a foot lever passing through the platform the lower end of which. is connected to the bell crank lever, and the upper end fitted with a pedal substantially as described.

9. In a life saving guard for cars the combination with the car of hangers secured to the under side of the platform of the car, bearings forming part of the hangers, a spindle mounted in said bearings and extending across the car, a bracket mounted on each end of the spindle, a framework, the ends of the side bars of which are mounted in said brackets, springs connected to said side bars and bearing against said brackets, a cushioned front connected to the said bars, a spindle connected to the front of the said bars,

wheels mounted on said spindle, a canvasarms connected to the car, an elastic cord having a corresponding sl-ot therethrough,

connected "to the crossbar and to the front of the framework, stay or guy ropes conneat-ed to the crossbar 'ainde'totherf ront of the framework, chains connected to the ends of the-cross bar and to the framework, :a balance weight connected to "the spindle and adapted n to lift the-'guard'intoavertical'position, va com pound lever connected to the'spind-Le a foot 1ever passing through a. slotinthe platform, the

and. recesses at "each end-of the slot, springs to throw the foot lever into either of the said. recesses, a switch, a spring connected to the foot lever and adapted to move theswitch, to either cut in -or-o'ut the currentto the mo tor, substantially as specified.

Toronto, November 4, 1893.

LOUIS EMILE DU BO-IS. In presence of F. J. DUNBAR, P. H. DERAYTON. 

